


Warm Like Sunlight

by withwords



Series: Underrated Hugs [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24994573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withwords/pseuds/withwords
Summary: Korra is there when Asami finds out that Hiroshi has been funding the Equalists all along. Korra and her hugs that are warm like sunlight.
Relationships: Korra & Asami Sato, Korra/Asami Sato
Series: Underrated Hugs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809394
Comments: 10
Kudos: 141





	Warm Like Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> I really love hugs but they seem so underrated in fics so I decided to take things into my own hands and write a fic all about, that's right, HUGS.

The night settled over Air Temple Island like a blanket. Here, the hustle and bustle of the city was barely audible, and the happenings of the afternoon had almost felt like a distant dream. The peace and serenity of the Island was a stark contrast from the feeling of dread and bitterness that grew inside Asami. 

Hiroshi Sato was never the same after the death of his wife and neither was Asami after the death of her mother. But never in a million years would Asami have thought that her own father would be capable of such cruelty and destruction. When the Avatar first accused Hiroshi of his involvement with the Equalists, Asami had supported her father without question. Her father might not have been the same after her mother had passed or even the best father to Asami, but he was still a good man. Or so she had thought. 

Her confrontation with her father was even more heartbreaking. Hiroshi had truly felt like he could avenge the death of her mother by funding the Equalists’ cause. He had chosen to mourn the death of his wife with violence, perpetuating the cycle of vengeance and hatred. But Asami had made her own choice. The moment she slipped on the Equalist glove, she knew how deeply wrong the whole thing was. Her mother would have been appalled to see what had become of her father. She would not let him taint the memory of her mother like that. It had been the hardest thing she’d ever done; turning her father’s own weapon against him. 

It felt wrong knocking her father unconscious, but the logical part of Asami knew that it was the right thing to do. 

Now, hours later and miles away from where the fight had taken place, Asami never felt more alone. Her father was all she had left and now she had no one. She was absolutely alone. A small part of her wondered if she should have joined her father, for no other reason than still having a family member by her side. Before the thought could fully form, Asami berated herself and physically shook her head to get rid of that horrible notion. Her father had chosen his own path, and it was one that Asami would not walk down, no matter the justification. 

Staring out the window from her new Air Temple Island room, Asami accepted that this would be her new normal. She should try to get some sleep, after such a physically and mentally draining day. But even glancing at the unfamiliar bed had caused a small bubble of anxiety to rise up within her. Her mind raced with the happenings of the day and every time she blinked, the crackle of electricity from the Equalist gloves rang in her ears. Asami didn't even want to think about the nightmares she would have, if she even managed to fall asleep at all. 

Tenzin and his children had briefly shown Asami around the residential section of the temple and the surrounding area earlier in the day. The island still felt foreign but Asami figured that if she didn't wander too far, she would probably be able to find her way back without much issue. The quietness of the room was starting to feel oppressive and Asami slipped on her jacket and made her way out of the room before it could close in on her. 

***

Asami pulled her jacket tighter around herself. It was much colder now that the sun had set fully and she was away from the safety of the heated temple. Her fingers were frozen but at least the cold air seemed to clear her thoughts. It was hard to think when she was so busy shivering. Making a loop around the temple, Asami saw a small pagoda in the distance at the back of the temple. As she walked closer, she realised it wasn't empty. 

There sitting cross-legged on the wooden deck was the Avatar herself. 

Korra was angled outwards but from the side, Asami could tell that her eyes were shut. Not sure if she was asleep, Asami thought it was best if she just quietly walked past. However, in the low moonlight, she tripped over a small section of elevated ground, letting out a soft gasp as she stumbled forward. In the dead of the night, Asami’s gasp and stomp as she tried to regain her balance might as well have been a resounding yell. 

Korra’s eyes popped open in alert as she jerked her neck around. Her gaze softened as she spotted Asami, frozen in her mid-stumble position as if she had been caught. Lightly clearing her throat, Asami righted herself and let out a small awkward, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Korra replied, an amused tilt to her lips though her voice remained soft and gentle. “Couldn't sleep?”

Asami shrugged, not really in a mood for conversation. 

She was about to move on with her stroll when Korra shifted to the left, making a space next to her. “Wanna join me?”

Cringing inwardly, Asami tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible. “I’m… not really good company right now.”

“That’s okay.” Korra’s expression turned understanding. “But no pressure.”

Even in the dimly lit area, Asami could see how blue Korra’s eyes were. They were a cerulean with specks of silver that glinted in the moonlight. Something about those blue eyes and gentle smile drew Asami in, her legs walking forward on their own accord. 

She quietly sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, Asami waited for the barrage of questions to come. Are you okay? Why couldn't you sleep? Do you want to talk about it? Or even Hiroshi-related questions like “Any idea what Hiroshi has planned next?” wouldn't have surprised her. She was her father’s daughter and the Avatar barely knew her. Asami guesses they could probably be considered business friends at best? 

A few moments passed and the questions never came. Asami glanced over at Korra, whose eyes were closed once again. She turned back and closed her eyes too. Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, Asami focused on the sounds around her. With Korra so closeby, she could hear her gentle breathing, stable and soothing like crashing of small waves. Beyond Korra, Asami could hear the small critters that roamed the island and the occasional rustling of leaves. 

As the wind picked up, Asami pulled her jacket around her knees as she wrapped her arms around herself. Next to her, Korra was in a thin tank top, arms bare but seemingly unaffected by the cold. 

Asami’s brain-to-mouth filter must have been asleep because the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “Aren't you cold?”

Korra chuckled as she opened her eyes slowly. “Temperatures dip so low in the South Pole that I barely feel the cold here. It's nice when it gets colder though, kinda reminds me of home.”

“Do you miss home?” Asami always knew that Korra was from the South Pole but it didn't occur to her how far Korra was from home until now.

“Sometimes. I miss my parents and the food. But Tenzin and his family take good care of me. They're practically family too, now. Though Tenzin and I butt heads a lot in the beginning.” Korra chuckled fondly. 

“That’s nice.” Asami said wistfully, unsure of how to continue the conversation. 

“You know, you’re always welcomed here. Whatever you decide to do with your life next, you'll always have a room here at the temple.” 

Korra had said it so sincerely that Asami felt tears spring to her eyes. The Avatar barely knew her but she was so ready to accept her and support her that Asami was overwhelmed with emotion. 

“Thank you.” Asami replied, voice tight as she tried to hold back her tears. 

“For what it's worth, what you did today was really amazing.”

“It didn't feel amazing.” Asami mumbled under her breath but it seemed like Korra had heard her anyway. 

“I'm really sorry about your father. I wished it didn't turn out this way.” 

“Well, he made his choices.” Asami’s voice hardened but she could feel the tears rolling silently down her cheeks. It felt like betrayal. 

Asami had hoped that Korra would not have noticed her tears or at the very least ignored it. But the other girl had shifted closer to her, right arm coming up to rest on Asami’s shoulders. Korra moved slowly, giving her ample time and space to push her away if she didn't want the physical contact. But Asami found that she didn't want to stop the contact from happening.

The moment Korra’s hand rested on Asami’s shoulder, she could feel the heat that radiated from her palm. The weight of her arm felt like the comfort of a heated quilt. A shiver ran through her body but it wasn't from the cold this time. Korra pulled her closer till she was flushed against her side and her head fell naturally on Korra’s shoulder. 

It took a second but the dam finally broke. 

It was like all the emotions of the entire day, or even before that, since Asami’s mother had passed, hit her with the force of a tidal wave. The hurt, pain, sadness, grief, and anger that she had hid beneath her perfect mask had cracked. And the effects were not pretty. She was bawling, hiccuping and struggling to catch her breath as her emotions overwhelmed her. 

Somewhere between all this, Korra had pulled her into her lap and Asami had her face hidden in the crook of Korra’s neck. Her strong arms wrapped around Asami, engulfing her in so much warmth. A small part of her knew that this should probably be awkward; her crumpled in a heap in the lap of the Avatar, getting snort all over her but a larger part of her didn't really care. Korra was so warm and Asami had never felt so safe. So protected. Her tears wouldn't stop flowing but Korra didn't seem to mind. She just kept a hand on Asami’s back, rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back and she rocked back and forth slightly. 

Hours could have passed before Asami’s tears finally came to a stop. Her hiccups subsided and she felt so tired. There were no more tears left in her. She was all cried out. At some point, her arms had wrapped around Korra’s waist, her hands fisting the back of her tank top. Asami knew she should probably get up, and apologise to Korra but she felt at peace, for once. Savouring Korra’s warmth for another few minutes, Asami finally pulled back to find concerned cerulean eyes looking at her. 

“Feeling better?”

Asami wiped her face with both her hands, scrubbing at the dried up tear tracks. “Yeah. Yeah… Thank you, Korra. And… I'm really sorry for crying all over you.”

Korra let out a small laugh. Asami was really starting to love her laughs. “No worries at all. Even the strongest of us need a hug from time to time.”

Now that Korra was no longer holding her, the chill of the night came back in full force. Asami quickly wrapped her arms around herself again but it didn't have the same warmth or comfort like Korra’s did. 

Standing up, Korra dusted her sleep pants and stretched her hand out to Asami. “Shall we get back?”

Adding, “Before you freeze to death,” in a teasing tone. 

Her cheeky comment startled a small laugh out of Asami, who put her hand into the Avatar’s- no, Korra’s waiting hand. 

_ Korra _ , Asami thought to herself incredulously. Not the Avatar but her friend, Korra. 

***

Something changed between her and Korra that night. It had bonded the two for sure. Asami figured no two people could sit through a crying and hugging session and not end up even a little bit closer. But after that night, she had truly felt like she could go to the other girl for anything and she would understand. Korra had seen her at her worst and comforted her through it all. Korra and her hug that was warm like sunlight. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hug #1! I think I have 2 more Hugs planned out which I hope I get the time to write soon. Work has been a pain in my ass lately but I can't seem to stop thinking about this couple :')
> 
> Leave a comment if you liked this! :)


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